Craig and Davison win super D national titles

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Adam Craig (Rabobank-Giant) and and Lea Davison (Specialized) raced to victory in the super D at the US Mountain Bike National Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho, very early on Sunday morning.

Craig, a former super D national champion who finished third in the yesterday's cross country race, is back in stars and stripes after defeating his long time friend and rally car racing buddy Carl Decker (Giant) by just one second.

"That climb is hard, but the rest of it was smooth," said Craig after clocking a 19:37. "I didn't blow anything - just keep it smooth and fast. I got lucky and didn't catch anyone but two guys on a climb. It worked out awesome."

Craig has previously won super D nationals in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

"Oh well, if I had to pick somebody to beat me, I guess it'd be that Rabobank guy," said runner-up Decker, who is fresh off winning Downieville last weekend.

"That start climb is hard, but compared to yesterday, it was a bubble bath. We only had to go up it once and the climb was nothing compared to the one in the cross country."

Last year's super D national champion, Mike West (Yeti) was third.

"I brought a super D bike which was a little heavy for the climb, but that's how it goes," said West. "I pushed on the downhills but suffered on the climb." West had a clean run excepting one encounter with an SUV out on course.

Women

Davison flew down the mountain to take victory ahead of Allison Mann and former national champion Kelli Emmett (Giant). Craig's girlfriend Lizzy English (Ride Giant-Ride Northstar) finished fourth.

One day after her best ever national cross country finish (second), Davison won her first super D national title in 23:06.

"It was hard up top on the climb, but it suited me," said Davison. "The descent was super fun."

Davison had just one chance to pre-ride the course: this morning. "I followed (downhiller) Joanna Petterson down the hill and that helped. I saw all the good lines." In contrast, Craig said he had pre-ridden the course four times.

"I ended up together with about three others and we were battling back and forth and passing each other on the fireroads. It was a smooth run and that's what I wanted."

Runner-up Emmett said she had a good, fun run with no mechanicals or crashes. She clocked a 23:27.

"It was hard. I was trying to stay focused the whole time because it's such a long run," said Emmett. "I think I was faster on my hardtail because I was so tapped out when I got down to those switchbacks that we did yesterday."

"I usually prefer to race super D with a group so I can pace myself for the short track which is coming up, but today you had to go as hard as you could because you didn't know how you were doing."

English put in a solid ride for fourth place after Allison Mann, who is back racing after rehabilitating a foot injury. "I started up the climb and it hurt, but I dug as deep as I could and kept going. I passed a few girls and I wrecked. I tried to pass again and wrecked again. We were all balled up and then I gave up trying to pass. We were hooting and hollering and skidding around corners," said English.

Emmett, Mann and English finished fifth, 13th and 12th respectively in yesterday's cross country.

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